DAVID THOMPSON, CHILD RAPIST FROM BOLTON, SENTENCED TO 24 YEARS FOR HORRIFIC ABUSE

In May 2014, David Thompson, a 60-year-old man from Bolton, was sentenced to 24 years in prison for a horrifying series of child sexual abuse crimes. The judge described Thompson’s actions as "the scale of your depravity was breathtaking" as he was taken into custody.

The sentencing followed Thompson’s conviction on 30 charges involving two young girls. One of his victims, who was just seven years old at the time, was forced to watch a hardcore fetish porn film called Beyond Perversion and re-enact scenes from it, during which Thompson would commit sex acts on her, urinate on her, and make her urinate on him.

His trial at Bolton Crown Court was halted last Thursday after Thompson admitted to multiple charges, including rape, sexual assault, causing a child to engage in sexual activities, and forcing a child to watch a sexual act. The victims had already given evidence in court, reliving their ordeals, and the younger girl, aged 11, underwent a second invasive medical examination that supported her allegations.

Phillip Parry, Thompson’s defense lawyer, stated that until his client pleaded guilty, Thompson of Presto Gardens, Deane, had struggled to admit to himself and his family what he had done. Parry also expressed sympathy for the victims’ families, noting they showed support and compassion as Thompson changed his plea.

Judge Peter Davies criticized Thompson’s apparent insincerity regarding remorse, noting that the guilty pleas only came after medical evidence substantiated the victims’ claims. “You knew what you had done but you chose to contest the case,” said the judge, who observed that Thompson displayed no emotion as he was sentenced.

Thompson pleaded guilty to the following charges: six counts of rape of a child under 13, three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 with penetration, twelve counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, six counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and three counts of causing a child to watch a sexual act.

The court heard that Thompson began abusing a seven-year-old girl in 2005, an initial phase that was described as an "experimental" rehearsal for even worse abuse of his second victim, who was abused over three years starting in 2009, also from age seven. The second girl endured at least 20 instances of abuse, which included sexual acts and being made to watch pornographic DVDs, all inflicted by Thompson in what Judge Davies termed "a campaign of rape" that caused her severe pain.

Judge Davies condemned Thompson’s actions, stating, “She was entitled to be treated with kindness and love. What she got instead was brutality.” He added that the second girl’s childhood innocence was shattered by activities she should never have endured, noting her fears and the fact that she only revealed the abuse after playing a secret game with her sister.

As a consequence of his crimes, Thompson is now required to register as a sex offender indefinitely, is prohibited from working with children or vulnerable adults, and is subject to a lifelong ban on contact with minors.

Members of the victims’ families were visibly distressed and quietly sobbed as Thompson was sentenced; they were too upset to comment afterward. Det Con Lee Grindley from Bolton police’s child protection unit described the case as among the worst he has encountered, emphasizing Thompson's depravity and extreme fetishes. “In the case of one of the girls, he went so far as to make her re-enact scenes from a fetish movie, and I cannot begin to imagine the lasting physical and psychological impact on both victims,” he said.

He commended the girls’ remarkable resilience, noting their willingness to help other children and their desire to fundraise for charities supporting victims of child abuse. “Both the victims are keen that no other children should suffer like they have,” he emphasized.